Roger Edwin Schwer

Roger Schwer (1932-2024), a long-time resident of Big Sky, Montana, died in Bozeman on July 2, 2024.

Roger Edwin Schwer was born in Cincinnati, Ohio to M Clayton Schwer and Olga Christenson Schwer on June 24, 1932. He was the second son following his older brother, Thomas. The Schwers did not stay long in Ohio and moved to the Rosedale neighborhood near Detroit, Michigan. Here they bought a home directly across from a park for the boys to "stretch" their legs. Clayton was an engineer in Detroit and Olga had a beautiful garden in the backyard. The boys enjoyed camp in the summers and traveling around Michigan. Eventually, Roger became a camp counselor and started sharing his enjoyment of sports and the outdoors with a ready audience. He played tennis and taught sailing and canoeing, developing his own skills along the way.

Roger went to Michigan State University and graduated with a BS in Metallurgical Engineering. While at Michigan State University, he joined the Lambda Chi Alpha fraternity and met Peggy Dicken. During those years, Roger and Peggy often came north to East Jordan on weekends to stay with Peggy's Aunt Gladys and ski at Boyne Mountain. Roger graduated from Michigan State in May 1954. Roger and Peggy were married on January 29, 1955, and honeymooned at Boyne Mountain.

Soon after this, Roger joined the Air Force and was sent to Malmstrom Air Force Base in Great Falls, Montana. It was then that his love for Montana began. He and Peggy made life-long friends, hiked in Glacier, and skied at the small resorts that were available at the time.

Following his stint in the Air Force, Roger and Peggy moved back to Birmingham, Michigan to be closer to family and Roger took a job with Revere Copper & Brass in Detroit. Daughter Susie was born in September of 1959. They remained in Detroit until his position changed and an opportunity opened up for him in California.

The move to California allowed the young family to explore all that their new state had to offer. Every year the family spent a week skiing at Mammoth Mountain and a week backpacking in the Sierra Nevada mountains. In 1966, Roger changed jobs and started working with International Nickel Co. A year later, Roger was transferred to New York.

Roger worked in New York City and commuted back and forth from New Canaan, Connecticut. Train travel was not his favorite, so he banded with his neighbors and together they purchased a van and shared the commute! While on the east coast, the family skied weekends in Vermont and spent a week backpacking every year in Baxter State Park, Maine. It was at this time that Roger decided to share his skiing passion and begin instructing. He instructed for several years at Magic Mountain in Londonderry and the family rented a few rooms in a farmhouse in Windham, Vermont. And this was the start of the "Retirement Plan"!

In the summer of 1972, Roger found an opportunity to return to Michigan, as both sets of parents were aging, and took the position of Manager of Marketing with Cannon-Muskegon. They bought a home on the North Shore of Grand Haven and promptly picked up a Hobie Cat and Minifish. For the winter, Roger started working weekends at Boyne Mountain as a ski instructor and they stayed weekends with Peggy's mother, Leanore Dicken, in Petoskey, Michigan.

Roger excelled at Cannon-Muskegon traveling to Zimbabwe, Russia, China, France, and becoming the company President and General Manager. In addition to his overseas travels, the family vacationed in the West skiing in California, Utah, Colorado, and at Big Sky, Montana and spent a week each summer sailing the North Channel of Lake Huron and the British Virgin Islands. Roger was an accomplished skier and licensed captain. To add to this list of accomplishments, Roger returned to graduate school and got his MBA from Seidman School of Business at Grand Valley State University and taught Business classes there in his "free time".

In December of 1991, with winter in full force, Roger retired from Cannon-Muskegon and sold the Grand Haven house. It was time to start his retirement. He and Peggy purchased a Stillwater condominium in the Mountain Village of Big Sky, Montana and Roger became a full-time ski instructor at Big Sky. His "Retirement Plan" that started back in the early 70's as an idea, came to fruition. Roger spent the rest of his life living his retirement dream of skiing, hiking, and mountain biking in beautiful Big Sky. During this time, he created the Master the Mountain program to help people who lived in or near Big Sky to fully explore all that the mountain had to offer and became active with the Arts Council of Big Sky contributing to the summer and winter concert series to share his love of classical music.

In 2002, after Peggy passed, Roger purchased a Skycrest condominium in Big Sky Mountain Village. He continued teaching skiing and maintained a presence in Petoskey. Roger visited Petoskey each summer spending time with his grandsons, Paul and Ian Swensson and Andy Romero, so they could experience Bay View. Roger's Minifish is still in use to this day as all three boys use the sailboat and enjoy the benefits that Bay View continues to offer.

On April 14, 2007, Roger married Marjie Toepffer in the Big Sky Chapel. Marjie was his long-time friend and a fellow Big Sky Resort ski instructor as well as his real estate broker. They moved to an Elkhorn Creek penthouse in the Big Sky Mountain Village and continued instructing skiing, hiking, and biking. Roger and Marjie's love of classical music drew them to the Arts Council of Big Sky as board members and financial supporters. At Marjie's suggestion, Roger completed the courses and testing necessary to achieve his Real Estate license and joined Marjie's agency, Realty Big Sky. But the primary focus of their life during the winter months was always alpine skiing at the "Biggest Skiing in America". During the off-season Roger and Marjie warmed up at Hilton Head Island, South Carolina and visited Petoskey, Michigan often.

Eventually, at age 83, Roger retired from ski instruction due to knee problems and he and Marjie moved to their spacious home overlooking the Meadow Village of Big Sky. Roger lived his life fully and shared his knowledge, skills, and good humor with any who wanted to come out and play with him.

Roger is survived by his wife Marjie Toepffer, his daughter Susie (Steve) Romero, grandsons Paul (Brittany) Swensson, Ian Swensson, and Anders Romero, and great grandson Hawthorne Swensson.

Roger's Celebration of Life will be held on Monday, October 28th at 1 PM in the Big Sky Chapel. In lieu of flowers, donations in his name may be made to the Arts Council of Big Sky for the Schwer-Toepffer Memorial Fund.